McDonald's Manager Released from Hospital After...

Posted November 5, 1997 12:00 a.m. EST

DURHAM — A McDonald's manager has been released from the hospital after being
shot in the side during an armed robbery attempt Tuesday night. Thanks to
the quick
thinking of an off-duty police officer, the three suspects were
quickly arrested and taken into custody.

The shooting happened at the McDonald's inside the Wal-Mart store at the
New Hope Commons Shopping Center about 10 p.m. Tuesday. The shopping
center is on the Durham-Orange county line.

Police say two
teenagers approached Joe Crews, the manager, and demanded money. Crews
was shot in the
side during a struggle with the gunmen. Crews was released Wednesday from
Duke University Medical Center.

It just so happened an off-duty officer was inside the Wal-Mart when
the hold-up happened. He used his two-way radio to direct other officers
to the crime scene.

Wednesday, both the McDonald's and the Wal-Mart where the restaurant is
located were back to normal operations. Shoppers who were asked about the
crime were surprised to learn a shooting could happen in such a public
place.

Durham Police Cpl. Fran Borden says the incident is also alarming to
investigators.

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